tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post7853215633410374977..comments2024-02-24T03:46:01.305-05:00Comments on Fred Fry International: Embassy Security in Iran - The Lesson Not LearnedUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-85170219511415681622009-01-19T11:30:00.000-05:002009-01-19T11:30:00.000-05:00Two points.First, there is what I sometimes cynica...Two points.<BR/><BR/>First, there is what I sometimes cynically call the "full employment for ambassadors" program. There's what seems to me sometimes to be an unseemly haste to open or re-open embassies in places where perhaps we have no business being, or before before it's reasonable and prudent or perhaps not really best in U.S. interests to do so. And there's always a reluctance to close (temporarily or otherwise) an embassy when things start to go to Hell. While Churchill was right ("jaw-jaw is better than war-war"), first questions should be asked first, to wit: Is it in the best interests of the United States to open/re-open its embassy in Country X at this time and why?<BR/><BR/>Second, with only very few exceptions, U.S. diplomatic facilities really aren't designed to function as fire bases, holding off human waves of attackers using cleared fields of fire, &tc. Neither are their security staffs; even where we have U.S. Marines ("No better friend, no worse enemy.") there simply aren't enough of them. Under the Vienna Conventions, the host nation is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of foreign diplomatic missions. Our own security arrangements, both physical and otherwise, are intended only to delay or obstruct an attack to allow the host nation time to respond and increase its protective measures.<BR/><BR/>What should be obvious (but is apparently not) is that when the host nation uses "spontaneous demonstrations" as a means of communicating its displeasure with the United States (countries like Iran, China, Syria, and Serbia come immediately to mind) then this system breaks down. Hell, it's not really broken in such cases, it's being used against us in a form of international lawfare. That's when you've got to constantly be re-visiting your first questions (see above).<BR/><BR/>I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms2.blogspot.com/2009/01/re-embassy-security-in-iran-lesson-not.htmlConsul-At-Armshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391037582103556978noreply@blogger.com